All About the Policy Ted Farnen, Editor Kelli Hopkins, Associate Executive Director of Board Services MSBA Annual Conference Oct. 2, 2015

Policy Services  One of the most important and popular of MSBA’s services  Difference between basic service and full- maintenance service – Basic –Full Maintenance

Need for Policy Services  Policies are the voice of the district.  Policies provide consistency on how to handle issues with students, parents/guardians, staff and district patrons.  Policies and procedures help keep districts in compliance with state and federal laws.

Need for Policy Services  Policies and procedures also assist districts in performing their duties by recommending best practices. -- Education group recommendations -- Financial/Auditor audits -- DESE audits/recommendations

Policies  Most common  Each must be adopted by local Board  About 260 versions of standard policies

Policy Sections  A - Foundations and Basic Commitment  B - Board Governance and Operations  C - General School Administration  D - Fiscal Management  E - Support Services  F - Facilities Development

Policy Sections  G - Personnel  H - Negotiations  I - Instruction  J - Students  K - School/Community Relations

Procedures  There are about 90 standard procedures.  Procedures are implemented by district administration and do not need Board approval.  Procedures help implement the broad policies adopted by the Board and usually include more details, some of which are legally mandated.

Other Policies/Aids  Regulations (not common)  Supplemental Policies (available for district use as requested) Examples – Student drug testing, nursing mothers  Forms (online and standard versions are part of regular Updates)

Updates  About two or three times each year  Some small, some large  This year – 2015A, 2015B and 2015C  Include recommendations for new, revised and deleted policies, procedures and forms

How Does a Policy Get Updated?  MSBA attorneys and advocacy staff monitor massive amount of information from the state and federal levels. These include legislation, regulations, court decisions, “Dear Colleague” letters, department “guidance,” executive orders, Attorney General opinions and best practices.

How Does a Policy Get Updated?  MSBA attorneys write drafts of new or revised policies to reflect the updated information, and it is thoroughly vetted (which can take some time).  Editors also review the new and updated policies to check for grammar, spelling and consistency. This is also an opportunity for a non-legal perspective.

Reference Copies  Reference copies show the changes that are being made to policies and procedures.  Yellow highlighting shows new wording and strike-outs show deleted language.  Why not just send a clean copy of the policy with the Update?  Explanations

Policy Notes  As noted, full-maintenance service allows us to keep track of past and future customization of policies and procedures  Codes and titles are uniform  District must have a corresponding policy to implement a procedure  MSBA keeps some files but districts should retain old versions of policies

Policy Online  We take your policies and put them online for all to see. (MSBA hosts about 215 online districts. This is not a service for basic districts.)  State law mandates each district post “a current version of that district's policy manual and all related documents” on the district website.  MSBA gets it put online ASAP after district notifies us of changes, but times vary.

Policy Revisions Not in an Update and BBFA  Contact MSBA editor and/or lawyer when your Board wants to revise policies not included in an Update.  We can help make sure policy is sound and we need to know when changes are made.

BBFA  BBFA – Board Member Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosure  State law requires this be approved by Board once every two years.  MSBA recommends districts adopt annually, and many do so.  A copy of the re-adopted policy (with seal) and Board minutes (signed by Board president) must be sent to MO Ethics Commission.

Communication is a Two-Way Street

Communication is a Two-Way Street  We need to hear from you about revised policies and procedures, changes in administrative positions and personnel changes such as Board secretary, job title revisions and contact information.  MSBA has newsletters, webinars, conferences, regional meetings, Facebook and Twitter to reach out to you.

Closing  Thanks for what you do!  Questions?